What's wrong with me?

[scaredinfla]

I have been reviewing these forums and they are incredibly helpful, so here is my situation.  I have been experiencing the following symptoms on and off for the past 30 days:

1) Swollen glands in my neck; at first it was one gland that a doctor said was 1.5 cm swollen.  I took Prednisone (?) and it went down.  Now, I feel like they're both swollen although far from before as I can barely feel them (and I can't see them at all).  I might be overreacting.

2) I've had off and on dull, achy headaches during the day that feels like pressure in my head.

3) I had a bout with congestion/runny nose/sore throat.  The sore throat led into the cold and lasted only a couple days.  A cough persisted and the cold continued for a few days.  I am still congested and it's been a couple weeks.  I have not taken any medication since the initial, full-fledged cold.

4) My neck and arms feel sort of stiff.  Not in pain, but just heavy as if I worked out and have felt this way for about 10 days or so.

5) I have been taking Vitamin C (1000+ milligrams at a time off and on), which has caused diarhhea.  Without the medicine, I have very sparingly had diahrrea.

6) I don't feel fatigued much, but I have less energy and it seems to me that #4 and this are related.

Now the back story:  I have had sexual relations with men (and I am a man, too), including unprotected oral sex and only one or two cases on unprotected anal sex, during which I did not ejaculate.  I am deeply worried and suspicious I might have contracted something, although I have friends who are sick with similar symptoms due to the changing weather.

I have checked my temperature several times and I haven't had any fevers at all.  I do not have night sweats, rashes, or anything of that nature.  I went to the doctor when the glands swelled about 25 days ago and she did a general blood test that took a couple of minutes to have the results come back.  The results, she said, were across-the-boards normal.

Also, I have not had any weight loss or gain nor have I experienced loss of appetite.  However, at times I feel like my throat is closed up, as if it's dry, but I do not feel like I could throw up.  I do not have any pain in my throat or stomach pertaining to nausea in the vomiting-sense, just in the throat-closing form.

I should also mention that between the swollen gland/headache period and the onset of congestion and other symptoms, I had a flu shot.  The cold and all came after that, and I got the flu shot while I was coughing and still ill.  I don't know how this factors in.

Any ideas what's going on here?

Thank you in advance.

[Matty the Damned]

Scared,

Now the back story:  I have had sexual relations with men (and I am a man, too), including unprotected oral sex and only one or two cases on unprotected anal sex, during which I did not ejaculate.  I am deeply worried and suspicious I might have contracted something, although I have friends who are sick with similar symptoms due to the changing weather.

I have quoted and highlighted the relevant section of your post.

You report unprotected anal sex and this indeed constitutes a risk for HIV transmission. As such you need to have an HIV antibody test performed 12-13 weeks from the date of the last episode of unprotected sex. Whether you ejaculated or not is irrelevant.

Please note that there are STD's other than HIV which are far more prevalent and transmissible. These include gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia. You would be wise to ask for a full STD screen. A full screen will include but is not limited to an HIV antibody test.

Unprotected oral sex is only a theoretical risk for the person performing the sexual act on a man. There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted in this way.

The symptoms you describe in great detail are entirely irrelevant to this matter. The symptoms of HIV infection are non specific and therefore we focus on risk behaviours and tests performed at the relevant times to diagnose HIV.

Please take the time to read our Welcome Thread and follow the links to our Lessons to learn more about how HIV is and is not transmitted.

MtD

[scaredinfla]

Anybody else?

[RapidRod]

There is nothing more to add to matty's response.

[anniebc]

You don't need to hear from anyone else, Matty has given you all the information you need.

Jan

[Ann]

scared,

It can take just a one-time incident to become infected with hiv and you do need to test.

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex with a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

You need to test for hiv at three months after your last incident of unprotected intercourse. Hopefully, you'll get a negative result, but the ONLY way to know your hiv status is to test.

I hope you start using condoms now too. Remember, sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is for LIFE - it's FOREVER, mate. There is no cure for hiv and the medications used to control the infection are NOT nice or very easy to take. They often give you the shits and nausea, some of them cause painful nerve damage, some cause your cheeks and bottom to sink in and waste away and there's all sorts of other things that can go wrong. Wise up and start protecting yourself before it's too late. This is your life we're talking about here.

Ann